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Flourishing Under God's Grace

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Welcome back to our week of study from the last half of Week 4 of Finding I Am. I hope you are finding this study as sweet as I am. When you draw close to the realness and the personalization of who Jesus is, not only in the Bible but who He is to us personally, it is sweet indeed.

1. Jesus is THE Way, THE Truth and THE Life. This I AM statement is the clearest example in Scripture of the certainty of Jesus being the only way to eternal life.

What makes you uncomfortable about this statement?

What is comforting about this statment?

What would you say to those who claim this is narrow minded and non-inclusive?

2. How has staying within the boundaries of God's truth brought you freedom?

3. Referring to page 128 we did a long exercise of looking at the prophecies about Jesus in the OT and where these were fulfilled in the NT. Despite the clarity of these fulfilled prophecies, many of the Jews didn't recognize Him as the Messiah. They were looking for the Messiah to come in a different way. We know that God's ways are different than our ways. Those ways are many times opposite of what we want and expect. Therefore we need to consider God's purposes and align our expectations and desires around His.

We have expectations of how we think God may move in our lives. How might you need to adjust your expecations and desires around His? Remember that He is the Alpha and Omega, He knows your beginning and your end and everything in between and He will perfect or complete that which concerns you. He is the Way, and has a better way!

1. Where have you experienced that space between exoectation and reality?

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Looking back, what Name of Jesus could you have applied in that situation?

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2. We see that Jesus is intnetional with Mary and Martha in the individual conversations He has with them. What is at least one moment where you know that Jesus was intentional with you?

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3. Mary and Martha both said, "If only you'd been here..." What are some "if only's" in your life? Do you now see a greater purpose in this trying time?

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4. page 117, In what specific situation do you sense God might be at work even if you can't yet see the results?

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In our sweet sorrow, long term, unanswered prayer requests 1. Know with confidence God hears your prayers, 2. Trust that prayer makes a difference, even when your don't see the difference, 3. Tell fear it has no place in this conversation

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Trace the hand and history of God in your life. He was faithful then and He is faithful ever still.

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I luvurfaces! Have a great week studying Days 3 & 4. See you next week.

Welcome back to our study of Week 3, Days 1&2 and Lysa's video session 3.

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Here is the link to this week's video. Please pardon our many technical difficulties this week. I used a new camera and sound set up and had to actually re-record several times. Then we had great difficulty in sending the video to my editor. Let's just say that coupled with the technical issues I had last week trying to record at the lake and then all the problems I had this week...I am quite weary of technology! This week almost didn't happen! I'll keep learning and trying to make it better with this new camera! The content is still quite good though. It must be, or the enemy wouldn't be so darn persistant in frustrating me!

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I have also created a Secret Group on FaceBook for us. You have to be invited and most of you have been. There are several that maybe are not on FB or I am not personally friends with. So, if you are on FB and didn't get an invite to the Secret Group, please FRIEND ME! Dana Bridges Stout, so I can send you an invite. Hopefully you will feel more secure and free to comment on this secret group than here on the blog. No one can see the secret group except those taking the study. I will post the same questions here on the blog and on the FB secret group page.

1.We learned that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. I also quoted Spurgeon, "Pray for God to not only show you the difference between right and wrong but also the difference between right and almost right." What does this look like in your life?

2.Your answer to prayer and your victory may be on the other side of obedience. Is there a step of obedience that you need to take?

3.Priscilla Shirer says that one or more of these three things, Fear, Pride and Pain stop us from obedience. Did this turn a light on for you in a step of obedience that you have been hesitant to take?

Thanks for your comments. Let's support one another as we go forward in the Lord.

Welcome back for Week 2, days 1 & 2. If you're not here yet, don't worry. Remember the study is self-paced and you don't have to be caught up. The teaching videos are on my YouTube Channel "StoutDana" and they will stay up indefinately. So, no stressing! ENJOY your study time!

I hope you've gone through your homework and even had a chance to read the chapters in the Book of John as assigned on Day 5.

After you watch the video, come back here to answer any of the following questions that you'd like to answer.

I hope y'all are having a great week and that this study and the Holy Spirit are speaking LIFE into you! Please let me know if I can do anything to make your experience any better.

Discussion Questions:

1- What was the most meaningful moment for you this week?

2-Has there been a time in your life where God clearly provided for you in a way that only He could? p.28

3-What storms have you tried to face on your own? Battles you've tried to fight without turning to Jesus? What are your go to "tools" that you pull out when you get into this kind of situation? p.33-34

4-How can you guard against the seemingly never ending to do list of what you think you should do as a "good Christian" and remind yourself that believing in Jesus is all you need? p.35

We've started off with a bang this week, studying God's Word through this book, Chapter 1, Days 1 & 2. Thank you for commenting on the blog. I hope you've completed the homework and spent some time with the Lord. I especially hope that you've identified your "sweet sorrow." Sometimes it's painful to dig up something like that, but that's the only way we can offer it up to the Lord and allow Him to heal it.

Here we go!!!! Our first session together! I hope you have your books and have downloaded and watched the first video of Lysa's from lifeway.com. Our first session will be some insights into her teaching. Please come back here and comment on any of the discussion questions that you feel lead to comment on. Let's connect with one another.

Hello Ladies! The 2017 Flourishing Life Ministries Summer Online Bible Study is about to begin on June 4. Many thanks to those who have already signed up. If you have not and would like to join us, email me at [email protected] and let me know that you are IN! We will be going through Lysa TerKurst's "Finding I Am," available on www.lifeway.com or amazon.

Follow this link to a quick intro video with a few instructions for what you need to do between now and June 4, our launch date. After you've watched the video, please comment below to let me know that all is working well on the technical end.

Tell us who you are, where you're from, what you do and what you hope to gain as you study this summer!

I'm excited you are here and we are getting all the technical kinks worked out now!